Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-02-18
LEGISLATTRE.
SENATE.
THURSDAY, Feb. Il.

. ton GAS!ight Co. for amendment of charts
came from the House. rule suspended. and
referred 10 the Committee on the judiciary.
The Senate refused to suspend the rule 70
receive the petition.
Mr. Gushee of Knox presented the petition
OF " ii Jewett and 60 others of Portland
Tor the passage of House bill No so. provid-
ing for more perfect assessment of taxes.
winch was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary.
Mr.. Gilbert of Oxforl pres auted bill an act
10 amend sec. lO9. chap. 81 of the revised
statutes, relating to railroads, which was re
ferred TO the Com nittee on the Judiciary.
Mr.. simpson, from the Penobsco. County
Delegation, reported ought to pass on bill an
act to Increase the salary of the Register of
Probate for Penobscot county; read and as
signed.
MIR. Hinckley, from the Committee on
flSherles and G ,me, on petition, rcportei bill
an act to prohibit the use Of oil torches in the
herring business; printed under rule.
Bill an act to amend sec. 4, chap. sos of
the laws OF 1855. came up on its passage to
be enacted and on motion Of Mr.. G,ola w
of Washington the vote passing IT TO be en-
crossed WAS reccnsidered The same gentle
man moved the following amendment, which
was adopted
! lhe State Treasurer shall hold such ca IN
or securities on deposit in accordance with
the provisions of this ac; but said corpora
ton may withdraw all or any part thereof on
depositlng in their place cash or other secur-
lties whose market value shall be equal to the
par value OF those Withdrawn; and it shall be
the duty of the Treasurer to make such ex-
change if the Governor and Council, upon
Application of the corporation, shall find and
| cause to be certified to him that the market
value OF the securities offered is not less than
the par value of those proposed to be with
! drawn"
The bill was then passed to be engrossed
as amended
Bill an act to Incorporate the Western
Northeast Harbor Steamboat Wharf Co :,
came up on Its passage to be enacted, and on
motion of Mr.. BurriIl of Hancock, the vote
passing 1t to be engrossed was reconsidered
aud the bill laid on the table and assigned for
Tuesday next at / O'clock.
The majority and minority reports of the
Committee on Labor came from the House
the former report having been accepted by
that branch; and the whole matter recommit
ted to the committee.
Mr.. Heath OF kennebec desired to make
two motions which he thought would be ac-
ceptable generaliy-tO concur with the House
in the acceptance of the majority report. and
g
A mistake seemed 10 have been made by the
other branch; but if the Senate should non
concur it would put both measures IN greater
danger tlian they now seemed to be in, and
he thought the best course to be pursued was
to concur in -ec0mmtment, that the matter
might come back MS speedily as possible
Mr.. Glshee Of Knox, as a member of the
committee making the minority report, be-
lieved that the bill of the minority embraced
more nearly than any other the views of the
friends of labor legislation, being the only
one for which there had been a single peli-
ton, there having been petitions representing z
thousands of intelligent laboring people in its
favor Believing it to he the measure de-
manded at the hands of the legislature, and
the only one in which are embodied the ele-
ments of enforcement. and. in the present
condition of the m .jority bill the only one he
could con :istently support as an explanation
of his vote to concur with the House, he would
state that it was to simplify the matter, and
with the hope that a bill would be agreed
upon which would receive a passage in both
branches.
House order of instructions to the Com
mittee on Labor came from that branch give n
passage
Mr.. Lumbert of Aroostook queried wheth-
er the order did not restrict the committee
too much in some particulars and thereby
embarrass their action
MIR. Heath, iE further explanation of his
position on the labor bills, said if the two
branches should disagree and the matter get
into the hands of committee of conference
there would be not more than one chance out
of ten that any bill would pass at this session.
Although protesting against the action of the
| House as a mistake, and one that put both
bills in danger, it seemed to him that the best
way out was tD concur with that action. He
did not regard the order as effective to curtsil
the authority OF the committee. In his opn-
ion they could report whatever bill they
thought best
The order received a passage.
The msjoritv and minor ty reports of the
Committee on Ways and Bridges in the mat
ter of Stroudwater Bridge 10 Cumberland
county were taken from the table, the ques-
tion being upon substituting the minority re-
port for that of the majority in concurrence
with the House.
Mr. GJCdnow of Washington moved to
concur
| MIR. Young of Oxford did not propose to
discuss the question, but as a member of the
committee he believed the majority report
correct upon the merits of the case. The
committee, after hearing all the evidence,
decided by a majority vote that there was no
binding agreement upon PDrtland to sup
port the bridge. She had supported it one
hundred wears, for the simple reason that
Massachusetts had imposed the burden upon
her by legislative enactment but was not to
continue for all time. The bridge was no s.
not even within her territory, and none of
the counsel claimed before the com nittee
that there was sny contract between Portland
and Westbrook by which Portland was to sup
port it, Ii gentlemen were of the opinion
that such a contract existed, then the best
way out of it would be to pass the bill and let
| the matter 90 to the courts for adj Idlca
| II seemed to him that senators who desired to
do justice between the parties could not do 9TH
ervise than to vote to relieve Portland of
such an unjust burden.
| Mr. Rich of Waldo as chairman of the
committee reporting :he BILL also advocated
the majority report. He said the committee,
after full and impartial investigation, had
almost unanimously come to the conclusion
that Portland should be no longer held. From
the evidence he believed that the nearest they
got to showing a contract was that the ques-
ton was debatable one. depending upon the
decision Of the court. and be was willing to
| leave the case there.
Mr.. Daggett of Piscataquis, q member Of
the majority, also advocated that report. He
did not think it worth the time TO argue the
question of whether this State has . right to
pass an act repeating what the legislature Of
! Massachusetts enacted for us one hundred
years ago.
That question had been Q good deal dis
| hrs ha vnws I'd al the Al iacu ssion